Iran Press/ America: A powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, killing 1,000 people and injuring 1,500 others in one of the country’s deadliest quakes in decades. The death toll is feared to rise.
Expressing sadness over the tragic loss of life due to the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for solidarity from the international community to help families in the country which was already reeling from the impact of years of conflict, economic hardship, and hunger.
Paktika and Khost are the most affected provinces of the country where hundreds of houses were destroyed by Tuesday night's magnitude 6.1 earthquake.
The UN chief added: "My heart goes out to the people of Afghanistan who are already reeling from the impact of years of conflict, economic hardship and hunger."
"I convey my deep condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," he said.
The UN chief said the international body's mission in Afghanistan is fully mobilized and teams are on the ground to assess the needs of quake-impacted people and to provide initial support.
"We count on the international community to help support the hundreds of families hit by this latest disaster. Now is the time for solidarity," said Guterres. 219
